Good Growing

Talking all things horticulture, ecology, and design.
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Latest Episode

April 26, 2024
This week on the Good Growing Podcast Ken has to work hard to contain his excitement for the upcoming periodical cicada emergence. Meanwhile, Chris has been building defenses to protect his newly planted baby trees. What do you need to know about the upcoming emergence of periodical cicadas?

Ep. 170 Gardening at night: Creating gardens to enjoy at night | #GoodGrowing

April 19, 2024
Do you enjoy spending your evenings outdoors? On this week’s Good Growing Podcast, we talk about how you can create a garden to be enjoyed at night. Learn about night-blooming plants that can be incorporated into a ‘night/moon’ garden, landscape lighting, insects that come out at night, and...

April is Pond Management Time! Talking aerators, duckweed, and vegetated buffers | #GoodGrowing

April 12, 2024
This week on the Good Growing Podcast we rewind back to when we sat down in person with Duane Friend to discuss pond management. For this Gardenbite episode, we look specifically at aerators in ponds, duckweed, and having taller vegetation around ponds and in the drainage channels leading into...

Gardenbite: Managing bagworms at home | #GoodGrowing

April 5, 2024
Have you had problems with bagworms in your landscape? Bagworms are troublesome insects that can make evergreens and other plants rather unsightly. Learn about the lifecycle of bagworms and how we can manage them, including how planting flowers can help.

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Ep. 169 Growing Perennial Vegetables, Asparagus, Rhubarb & More | #GoodGrowing

March 29, 2024
This week on the Good Growing Podcast Ken and Chris talk about perennial vegetables that we can grow here in Illinois. Many of the preparation and care instructions match with each crop and we describe those during our first crop, asparagus! We also chat about rhubarb, artichoke, chives, and...

Ep. 168 Starting seeds at home | #GoodGrowing

March 22, 2024
Have you started your seeds yet? On this week’s Good Growing Podcast, we talk about how you can start your own seeds. Learn about the benefits of starting your own seeds, where to start them, the equipment you’ll need, how we can reduce the amount of plastic we use to start seeds,...

Ep. 167 Garden Trends for 2024 | #GoodGrowing

March 14, 2024
This week on the Good Growing podcast we chat with horticulture educator Emily Swihart about garden trends to be on the lookout for in 2024. We talk about the rise in popularity of incorporating native plants, trying to make our landscapes more biodiverse, and also just plain fun horticulture...

Gardenbite: Creating pollinator habitat at home| #GoodGrowing

March 8, 2024
Has the warm weather got you thinking about gardening, perhaps gardening for pollinators? Learn about how you can create a habitat for pollinators in your own landscape, from the types of plants, habitat for nesting and egg-laying, pest management, and more! 

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Gardenbite: Martha's Picks: Three native plants for your yard | #GoodGrowing

March 1, 2024
This week we take a look at a clip from 2021 when the Good Growing team sat down with three horticulturists/landscape designers to learn about their favorite native plants. We asked each one to come up with their top three favorites. In this clip, retired Illinois Extension educator Martha...

Ep. 166 Grow something new with us: Good Growing Grow Along | #GoodGrowing

February 23, 2024
Do you like growing new things in the garden? Then come grow along with us! On this week’s Good Growing Podcast, we roll out our newest project, the Good Growing Grow Along. We’ve selected six new plants/cultivars to grow in our gardens, and you can grow them along with us. We also discuss...

Ep. 165 Strategies for farming in contaminated soil Part II | #GoodGrowing

February 16, 2024
This week is the second half of our conversation with Zack Grant about urban farming and dealing with contaminated soils. Zack details techniques that urban farmers and gardeners can use to avoid growing in contaminated soils. We also dive into the importance of soil testing and how to pick a...

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